Huddersfield Giants open their new Betfred Super League season with a home game against Salford Red Devils on Friday February 1.

Simon Woolford’s side then quickly head out to France to face Catalans Dragons on Saturday February 9.

The Dacia Magic Weekend will be played on the second Bank Holiday weekend in May (Round 16) with fixtures and the venue for the 2019 festival to be confirmed next week.

Each team will play 29 fixtures – 14 at home and 14 away, plus the Magic round – meaning they play seven of the other 11 teams three times, and the other four twice.

That fixture pattern has been determined by the teams’ finishing positions in 2018.

Old Trafford will stage the 22nd Grand Final on Saturday October 12, the culmination of a return to the Top Five Play-Offs which produced the original Grand Final in 1998 – when Jason Robinson’s famous try set up Wigan’s 10-4 win against Leeds.

That means the winners of the League Leaders’ Shield could take a direct passage to Old Trafford with victory in a single home match in the second round of the Play-Offs – whereas the team finishing fifth would have to win three away matches to make the Grand Final.

Wigan launch their defence of their title at the home of their fierce rivals St Helens in a Thursday night blockbuster opening to the 2019 season.

Super League chief executive Robert Elstone said: “The 2019 season will mark a change of direction for the Super League, and the start of exciting new beginnings.

“We want our fans to be really excited about that first weekend, and how better to do that than with a Saints-Wigan derby, pitting the champions against their local rivals who were also last year’s League Leaders? And then to follow it up with a Hull derby?

“We’re equally excited about the extra Saturday games which our broadcast partners at Sky Sports are showing in the early stages of the season, allowing the drama of the opening round of matches to unfold throughout the weekend.

“Throw in the World Club Challenge between Wigan Warriors and the Sydney Roosters, the unique appeal and challenge of Super League’s Easter weekend – and of course the season builds to a real climax with the battle for places in the Top Five Play-Offs, building to the Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.”